Bonsai trees are a work of art that adds beauty to any indoor or outdoor space. To keep your bonsai tree healthy and aesthetically pleasing, you need to prune it regularly. Pruning is an essential part of maintaining the shape and size of the bonsai tree, which helps in controlling its growth rate.
Bonsai juniper is one of the most popular species for beginners as they are hardy and can withstand different climatic conditions. In this article, we will discuss how to prune a bonsai juniper.
When to Prune Bonsai Juniper?
The best time to prune juniper bonsais is during spring when new shoots begin growing. Avoid pruning during winter or summer as it may damage the plant due to frost or heat stress respectively.
Tools Required for Pruning Bonsai Juniper
Before starting with pruning, gather all necessary tools such as sharp scissors (long-handled), concave cutters, wire cutters, branch benders and tweezers.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Prune Bonsai Juniper
1. Remove Deadwood: Deadwood refers to dry branches that have lost their leaves but still attached loosely on the tree trunks/branches. Using long-handled scissors remove deadwood from your juniper bonsais carefully without causing damages on other live parts.
2.Thinning out overgrown areas: Overgrown areas refer to where too many leaves grow together creating dense foliage obscuring trunk lines.No single branch should be allowed between another two branches that create excessive thickness.Trimming off some leaves at regular intervals will create spaces among them thus allowing light penetration deep into inner parts.This improves air circulation within outer canopy reducing humidity levels hence inhibiting moss growth.
3.Wire removal: Once wiring has served its purpose; use wire cutters gently detaching from stems before removing entirely
4.Pruning backside branches: Removing 1/3 of the bonsai’s branches is recommended to prevent excessive growth rates. This also helps maintain an even shape and prevents one side from becoming heavier than the other.
5. Pinching: Use your fingers to pinch off new shoots from each branch that grow in unwanted directions, thus helping in shaping and maintaining the form of the bonsai juniper.
6. Styling: Once all necessary pruning has been done; rewire where necessary so as to achieve desired shapes.
Tips for Pruning Bonsai Juniper
• Always use a sharp tool that is clean and sanitized to avoid infections or diseases on your plant.
• Avoid over-pruning as it may harm/deform/reduce future growth of plants.
• Cut at a slight angle for quick healing and better aesthetic qualities
• Be gentle when handling branches, breaking them can cause significant damage
• Seek guidance from experts before starting if you are unsure about any aspect of pruning.
Conclusion
Juniper bonsais are great additions to any collection due to their hardy nature, unique features and suitability in different conditions. They require regular care such as watering, fertilizing, disease prevention measures among others.However; frequent pruning remains critical for maintaining their overall healthiness while adding beauty through shaping techniques discussed above.Practice these guidelines carefully if interested in growing healthy flourishing Juniper Bonsais!